Fair Pricing

Roundtable Discussion

Fair Pricing with Joel Frazier

Back in April, Joel Frazier shared with the group some thoughts he had about how he was praying about how to price things in his business. Like a prayer sanctuary space. Or shelter for the homeless. Or working for those in need for material costs only, providing the labor for free or reduced.

Here is a video clip from that April 3rd discussion

With the price of everything going up, and our income/savings often feels like it’s not keeping up, what are we as Christian business owners and ministries to do? How should we price things? Should we pass along the increases and add on our own increase as well?

Or does God have a better way?

What is a fair price anyway, according to the word of God?

If Jesus was a carpenter, what did he charge for his work?

Did he do things for free?

We will discuss what the scriptures say about pricing goods and services in any business context.

Proverbs 16:8,11,16,19:

Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

– thought: we should be careful not to rationalizing gouging people

Honest scales and balances belong to the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making.

– thought: it would be better to err on the side of undercharging rather than overcharging

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!

– thought: if I make less money but get more favor and wisdom from God, am I better off?

Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

– thought: help the oppressed even if it costs you
– thought: it’s not good to partner with questionable gain that plunders others

[Sodom] is very much like contemporary American culture: pride, fullness of bread, abundance of idleness, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy

Derek Prince

Should we price things differently for the oppressed, the poor, the widow, the orphan?

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien

Lev 23:22

Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God

Lev 19:9

– thought: leaving free crops in the field decreases your gross margin but helps people

You shall not lend [the poor] your money for usury, nor lend [the poor] your food at a profit.

Lev 25:37

– thought: be careful not to enslave the poor for profit after offering help

He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches… will surely come to poverty.

Proverbs 16:22

– thought: be careful not to take advantage of the poor for sake of profit

The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully… I will build greater [barns]… he [is a fool] who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Luke 12:21

– thought: what should we come upon the blessing of excess gains?

If God’s Economy is giving and receiving, how do we find a fair price between parties in a business exchange that pleases the Father?

Should we give people goods and services for free? Will they or others return the favor in kind or in trade for something else? Will God see it and help us in other ways? Other business opportunities?

Price Transparency

Joel brings up the example of how the Quakers implemented a reform in their owner’s stores – everything marked with a fixed price – as a way of preventing price gouging based on who is shopping in your store. While today such transparency is commonplace, apparently back then it was not. A store owner can always lower the price unilaterally to help someone or promote a sale, but should guard against temptation to exploit someone by charging more just because they can in the fog of a lack of transparent pricing.

Lack of Transparency: Medical

Like in the medical industry, how services and treatment pricing is always after the fact. In fact, most medical practices and hospitals will have people sign a financial responsibility contract, without even knowing what they will be on the hook for later. It’s a trust us, while we don’t trust you situation. Based on a power dynamic where by you need the medical attention, so we have you “over a barrel”. Leading to injustices and price gouging. Often rationalized by “insurance will pay for it”.

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